Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
by Cloud Piece
Summary: Ace/Robin. Coming to terms with one's past isn't an easy thing to do, and as the truth of Nico Robin's past starts unraveling the students of Hogwarts begin to doubt that she is what she says she is. The happiness that she found is slowly disappearing, and maybe the only one who can bring it back is a certain freckled face boy. GoF. Straw Hats, HP characters, and OP villains.


**Because there isn't enough Ace/Robin in the world and I love crossing my fandom.**

**OoOoO**

**Title: **Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

**Characters: **Ace and Robin

**Rating: **T

**Words: **3,341

**Warnings: **Fandom crossover (HP and One Piece), spoilers for both series, trigger warning for Robin's back story.

**Genre: **Romance, angst, hurt/comfort, humour.

**Summary: **Ace/Robin. Coming to terms with one's past isn't an easy thing to do, and as the truth of Nico Robin's past starts unravelling the students of Hogwarts begin to doubt that she is what she says she is. The happiness that she found is slowly disappearing, and maybe the only one who can bring it back is a certain freckled face boy. Features the Yule Ball.

**Trivia of the day: **This was originally planned to be a one-shot, but as this progressed I realised that there is no way I could fit all of this into one one-shot story. I got too caught up in the fun of writing angst.

**Author's note: **Aha, I should really stop putting a new story up every other week. But oh well. So another Harry Potter and One Piece cross-over. It should be a short one. I can't promise anything though, but it won't have thirty chapters. Twenty-nine, maybe (kidding, kidding). The title is from Les Miserables, so credit to that. It fits the story, and you'll find out why later. Also, don't be fooled by the first chapter. Everything is going to fall apart soon (laughs manically). Yes, Malfoy vs Straw Hats is for the humour side. Wow, this is the longest chapter I've written for something in a while. Over 3000 words! I should be getting awards for this. Give me my Oscar. So I can give it to Leonardo Dicaprio.

I don't know who owns the image but I give them total credit. Just search Ace x Robin and it should pop up.

Also, should this go into Harry Potter and One Piece crossovers or just One Piece? Because the focus of this is mostly Ace and Robin, and I would like to let fans know that this is indeed the pairing but it's in a Harry Potter setting.. Argh! Writing au stories that are set in another story is quite infuriating :( But it'll work out in the end.

Anyway, enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review, and please leave a long one as it motivates me! I can't promise a new chapter straight away, but next month seems likely.

_One Piece_is property of _Eiichiro Oda_

_Harry Potter_is property of _J K Rowling_

* * *

Ace, of Gryffindor house, sighed dreamily. His left hand rested on his freckled cheek, while his right hand was doodling on his potion's homework. Most of his drawings were of fire and the letters _ASL_, however in the middle of the parchment was a sketch of a smiling raven-haired girl, a love-heart near her saying _Robin_.

"Snape's gonna kill you, mate," Marco, a fellow Gryffindor, said, leaning over to peer at Ace's parchment. "It's due tomorrow, and you haven't even started. You're already on his bad side. But, more importantly," Marco smirked when he eyed the sketch of Robin, "when are you gonna ask her to the Yule Ball?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "When I feel like it."

Marco slapped his palm against his forehead. "Ace, the Yule Ball is in two weeks, and you haven't even asked her yet?" He jumped over the chair next to Ace before slouching down on it. "You better hurry or someone else will ask her. I heard that Hufflepuff- Roronoa Zoro- was planning on asking her out, so you'd better make your move or else Roronoa will get her first."

"I said when I feel like it!" Ace snarled. He snatched his work off the table and stormed up to the boy's dormitory, fuming.

Marco sniggered. His best friend really was an idiot when it came to girls.

* * *

She was in the library again today- wasn't she always?- and she was surrounded by her friends. And by friends, Ace meant Nami. And by Nami, Ace meant trouble. Not to mention the fact that his little brother was there too, a fourth year that never kept his mouth shut and had been kicked out of the library numerous times. Ace was pretty sure Luffy was banned from the library -or was it Sanji and Zoro? Either way, they were quiet today, which was unusual. Not for normal people, but for them.

Zoro was sleeping and leaning against a shelf, his three katana and wand next to him. The first years that passed him gave him confused stares, and Madame Pince shot him a glare every so often. Weapons (apart from wands) were not permitted in the castle, however Dumbledore made an exception for a few, Zoro being one of them (The others being Trafalgar Law, Tashigi what's-her-name, and a couple other students Ace never bothered to find the names of). Apparently Zoro threatened to slice Dumbledore into a thousand pieces if he didn't let him keep the swords…

"Nami~! Robin~!" The high voice of Sanji Prince rung out across the room, making everyone in the room (minus Luffy, Chopper and Robin) groan and slam their heads on the table, book, shelf, and whatever other object they had in near them, including their hands. "Would you like me to do your homework~?"

Nami smirked, handing Sanji her charms assignment. "Thank you, Sanji," she smiled. Her top and bottom buttons were undone, and Sanji almost fainted after catching a glimpse, blood trickling down his nose.

"Nami is so sweet when she's thanking me!" The single eye on Sanji turned into a love heart- something students and teachers alike have gotten used to (Even if Madame Pompfrey had taken him to the hospital wing, convinced that someone put a spell on him to make him change his eye to a love heart or he had something wrong with him, and let him out a day later, shaking her head with disbelief and still denying it was impossible). "Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me, Nami~?"

"Yeah, sure."

Sanji grinned widely, shouting out his proclamations of love towards Nami. Zoro opened an eye, annoyed. "Oi, shitty cook. Would you shut up?"

"What was that marimo?" Thus a battle triggered between the two Hufflepuffs, a casual scene for their group.

"Ah... Hey, guys."

Robin glanced up from her book. "Hello Ace," she smiled when she saw who it was. "Did you do your potions assignment?"

A tinge of red reached Ace's cheeks. "N-nah, I've gotta do it now," he replied, giving Robin a nervous grin. Robin chuckled and turned back to her book, her long nose almost pressing against the paper. Ace breathed out. It was now or never.

"Hey, Robi-"

"ACE!" Luffy called (quite loudly) from across the table. "Yo, Ace! How are you? Do you have a date to the ball yet? I don't want a date, but some Beauxbatons girl –Hammock I think her name was- keeps asking me out! Isn't that weird? Usopp and Bon think I should, but I don't want to! What do you think?"

Ace shot Luffy a fiery glare. "Fine, no, no, do whatever you want," the freckled boy snapped coldly. Luffy gave him a grin, unaware of what he had interrupted.

"I'll go with my friends, then. Yosh!" He went straight back to talking with Chopper and Usopp, throwing his hands up in the air. "And then… BAM! Enel went shot out some weird lighting but I dodged it! And then I punched him real hard!" Luffy threw a punch in the air. "Like that, but cooler!"

Stars appeared around Chopper, who was grinning from Luffy's story. "Wow! You're so cool, Luffy!" said Chopper.

"Hahaha!" Luffy leaned back, laughing. "All without my wand and magic!"

"Oh yeah, I got a great prank for you guys…" Usopp started to say, leaning in to whisper something to his friends.

Ace stared blankly at Luffy and his friends, his mind wandering off.

"What was that you were about to ask me, Ace?" Robin's voice brought him back down to earth.

Ace glanced at Robin, unable to think of what to say. _Damn, what the hell was I thinking? _He thought, feeling the urge to give himself a face palm. _I can't ask her when all her friends are around! _

"It's nothing!" the freckled boy said, holding up a hand. "I've gotta go- homework. Snape will kill me if I don't do it."

Robin smiled politely. "Have fun, Ace."

Ace turned around, disappointed in himself, and walked away as fast as he could, never glancing back.

* * *

Malfoy walked – well, strutted- around the corridors, his two thugs behind him, because he _owns_ Hogwarts. He past the Great Hall when he heard _him_. Usopp Sogeking.

"Step right up and see the amazing bouncing ferret show!" Usopp's voice rang out, echoing in the Great Hall. "He's furry, he's a prat, he's… -Brook, drum roll please. No, not violin, drum roll. Yes. That dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun thing. Yes, I know you're made of bones. Just do the drum roll.- …" Malfoy opened the door slowly and glanced inside. He gaped at what used to be the Great Hall.

"…Draco Malfoy!"

Monkey D Luffy and his gang had managed to turn the inside of the Great Hall into some kind of circus show. Magical lights, food, students (there were so many people!) animals- but it was what was hanging from the ceiling that made Malfoy's jaw drop.

It was a picture of him, Draco Malfoy, turning _into a ferret_.

A ferret.

Him.

The most humiliating moment of his life, and they made a _show _out of it.

Father was going to hear about this. Oh yes, he will. Then they will expel the Strawhats from Hogwarts forever!

Before that, he had to deal with the current situation.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Malfoy yelled, glaring furiously at Usopp. His fists were clenched and shaking. Usopp raised his brows and crossed his tanned arms.

"I'm promoting my business and gaining profit," Usopp's voice was very calm. "For my debt to Nami. Also I've found a love for poking at blonde Slytherins that are turned into ferrets by one of the greatest Professors this school has ever seen. Ever." As Usopp said those words, a large banner behind him, behind where Dumbledore's throne was, rolled down to reveal a moving photo of Mad-Eye and Usopp. "All hail Captaaain Usoooppp and the great Mad-Eeeeeye!"

The people in the hall gave a large laugh and cheered for Usopp and Mad-Eye. A deep, yet very loud, chuckle brought Malfoy's attention to the right of him. He almost wet his pants. Mad-Eye was there too, clapping his hands and smirking. He could almost feel that stupid electric blue eye boring into him, and he could almost hear him taunting _Ferret boy, ferret boy!_. So father should not only expel those Strawhats, but sack the man who turned his beloved son into a ferret.

"You will pay for this, Sogeking!" he roared, the anger clear in his voice. "You and your filthy mudblood frie-e-e…nds…" Malfoy stopped abruptly, whipping around, his eyes wide with fear. He gulped. The person that hated that word the most out of everyone in the entire school- teachers and students alike- was standing tall at the doors, leering at the crowd. Also the person Malfoy feared the most, while the Strawhats and a few of their friends were on very good terms with him.

"P-professor N-Newgate, sir… I-I didn't realise you w-were here…"

Newgate, or Whitebeard, as he was generally called by the students (No one knew where this came from, as he technically had a moustache, not a beard. Harry Potter suggested they called him Whitestache one evening, while the golden trio and the Gryffindor Strawhats were sitting by the fireplace. Usopp had replied with a worried stare and "don't! He hears you! He's everywhere!") had entered the Hall, the immense power emitting from him as always.

Most of the students feared him, however there were some people that the fear didn't reach. Monkey D Luffy, Phoenix Marco, Portgas D Ace, Red-haired Shanks, Harry Potter… Needless to say, Draco Malfoy was not on that list. Whitebeard is the man that Malfoy fears the most. Not even Alastor Moody, with his ferret tricks, could top him. There was just something about the man that screamed danger. To make matters worse, Professor Newgate already despised Malfoy. Mudblood was one of the man's least favourite words.

"You. Brat," Professor Newgate gripped Malfoy's shoulder tightly, so hard Malfoy was certain that it would leave a bruise later. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

A small pause.

"No, sir," Malfoy swallowed, raising his arms up in surrender, "I didn't say anything!"

"Hmph. You snot-nosed brats don't know when to stop lying," Newgate growled, making Malfoy shiver. In one swift movement, Newgate threw Malfoy to the opposite side of the Great Hall, which resulted in a broken table. Most of the hall gasped, while some of the Strawhats merely laughed and pointed at the table.

Zoro opened his eyes, smirked and closed them again. He was sitting on top of a very large pile of empty Fire Whisky bottles and there was a slightly smaller pile next to him of full bottles. He was the school's resident student drunk. Not a day has gone by where he hasn't had a drink. OF course, some teachers gave him detention regularly because of this.

"Oi, Roronoa," Newgate stanched three bottles from the smaller pile and emptied the contents in one gulp. "You're running low on booze." He smirked.

Zoro twitched. "Not my fault the stupid witch keeps adding on my debt," he snapped. Zoro's current debt to Nami surpassed one thousand galleons. Amazingly, he has owed her much more in the past. Almost everyone in the school has owed Nami money at one point in time.

A loud smack was heard as Nami's fist met Zoro's head. Zoro yelped in pain and kneeled over, holding the bump on his head.

"What the hell?"

"That's 10 galleons!" Nami leered at Zoro. Zoro growled before turning back to Newgate.

"So? What is it?"

Newgate smirked. "Roronoa, I'm sure you know about Crocodile."

Zoro and the other Strawhats twitched. Malfoy widened his eyes. "Crocodile? You mean _that _Crocodile?" He gulped, darting his eyes from Newgate to Zoro.

Crocodile Zero… He was a notorious man who collected numerous people and gave them a 'job' to do… mostly assassination and other crimes. He was once one of the Ministry's greatest powers, but was sent to Azkaban after a certain incident in Egypt. Apparently Monkey D Luffy stopped him in whatever crime he was attempting to do.

Coincidently, Nico Robin also came to Hogwarts shortly after this. There were rumours about what her but the rumours died shortly after (although Malfoy still believed them).

"Yeah, what about him?" Zoro grunted.

"He's escaped."

The news hit the students quick and hard. Even the Straw Hats were stunned. Zoro dropped the bottle in his hand, which shattered on the floor. Luffy was glaring at Newgate, clenching his fists. "_What_?" he snarled. The students around him almost fainted and edged far away from the black haired boy, terrified at his fury. "The bastard's escaped?"

Newgate nodded. "Yeah, and he's probably coming after you. You guys did send him there after all."

Luffy punched his palm, a determined smirk plastered onto his features. "I'll kick his ass again."

The professor snickered, walking off. "Oh, and you guys should clear this dump up. Severus is about two minutes away."

A few groans were made by those who were over the news of the recent escape, while the rest started to clean up the Great Hall, not wanting to be put in detention by Snape. Moody rolled his eye and flicked his wand, which erased all evidence that there ever was a commotion there.

Malfoy bit his lower lip and beckoned for his two body guards to come to him. "Pick me up," he ordered. Goyle lifted Malfoy and placed him on his shoulders, going out the Great Hall. Malfoy sneered at Usopp and Sanji when he passed them and whispered, "This means war."

Usopp grinned mischievously back. "You're on, shitty ferret," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. Malfoy coughed and exited the building.

"And don't think I won't remember this!" he called.

* * *

Chopper told Robin about the recent break out in Azkaban in the Ravenclaw common room shortly after. Robin blinked in surprise before saying that she was going to the girl's dormitory for a while. Chopper thought about going up with her but stopped himself. She just needs some time alone.

No one was in the room. Feeling relieved, Robin removed her shirt and looked in the mirror at her bare torso. The scars were still there, on her chest and back. One scar stood out from the rest, ugly and big, resting right above her heart. The scar could also be seen on her back. Robin touched the scar and sighed, fear and guilt washing over her. A knock on the door startled her.

Robin quickly placed her shirt back on and opened the door. To her surprise she was tackled to the ground by none other than Nami, her best friend. Nami was always able to figure out the answer to the questions that the statue asked, so she would often hang out with Robin in the Ravenclaw common room. Robin smiled while Nami hugged her friend tightly. "Robin, you don't have to worry about a thing," Nami cried out, letting go of Robin and sitting up. Robin sat up as well.

"I hope so," Robin muttered back, knowing what the orange haired girl was talking about. She rubbed her arms, shivering. "But there's no guarantee that the truth about my past won't become public."

Nami patted Robin's shoulder. "Listen, no one will find out the truth. No one needs to know anyway. And Luffy will beat Crocodile up again."

Robin gave Nami a polite (fake) smile that Nami returned (although hers was genuine). "Indeed."

"Now, to the important thing. First of all, your shirt is inside out." Robin frowned and glanced down. Sure enough, she put her shirt on inside out in her haste. Robin shrugged it off.

"Secondly, Robin…" Nami began, rubbing her hands together. To her, gossip was almost always more important than anything else. Apart from money, of course.

"Yes?"

"Have you got a date for the Yule Ball yet?" Nami asked. Robin shook her head. "Well, guess what I found out?"

Robin raised one eyebrow. "What?"

"Someone wants to ask you out."

"Yes, I am aware that multiple men desire to go to the Yule Ball with me," Robin sighed, waving it off. Nami snorted.

"Well, I know who…" Nami leant into Robin's ear and whispered a name. Robin blinked a few times and felt a tinge of red creep up to her cheeks. Nami laughed at the sight. "I knew it!" she shouted, pointing at Robin's face. "I knew you liked him!"

"…Nami-"

"This is perfect! Wonderful!" Nami jumped onto her feet. "We have to get you two together soon- in private!"

Robin smiled. "Portgas D Ace, huh…" she muttered under her breath.


End file.
